Shaft-iron



(No Model.)

A. B. WEBSTER.

SHAFT IRON.

No. 377,128. Patented Jan. 81, 1888.

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' taining the draw-bar to which the tug is se- ALBERT B. WVEBSTER, OF MANCHESTER, NEWV HAMPSHIRE.

S H A FT l R O N SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,128, dated January 31, 1888.

Application filed March 29, 1887. Serial X0. 152,865. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: flanges a, which rest against the inner walls Be it known that I, ALBERT B. WEBs'rER, f or circumference of the tube a and form a of Manchester, county of Hillsborough, and bearing for the said draw-bar, the said tubes State of New Hampshire, have invented an being inserted into the ends of aspiralspring, Improvement in Shaft-Irons or TugHolders, Z). The shank of the draw bar is screwof which the following description, in connecthreaded at its rear end to receive a nut, 1), tion with the accompanying drawings, is a i and between the said nut and tube a is a specification, like letters on the drawings rep- I washer, Z), of leather, rubber, or other suitresenting like parts. ablematerial, to render the tube a water-tight Prior to niyinvention shafts of vehicles have at its rear end, a washer, If, between the tube been strengthened by means of irons secured a and. the closed end of the tube a renderto them, and the saidirons have had bolted to ing the tube a water-tight at its front end. them a piece of iron having a tube to contain The tubes a a are made tapering from their a spring and a draw-bar, to which latter the flanges toward their ends, so that they may tug is attached. snugly fit the first coil of springs of. different This invention has for one of its objects to sizes or diameters,thus permitting ofastronger effect a saving in time and labor required to or weaker spring to be employed, as the exiiron the shaft, as it is technically called, gencies of the ease require. and to apply the tug-holder directly to the By making the tubes (6* a. tapering, as deshaft-iron; and I accomplish this feature of my scribed, the spring I) used therewith is centered invention, preferably,by casting the tube 0011- in the tube a, and the said spring is prevented from making contact with the inner walls thereof. The shaft-iron B, at its inner edge, in front of the tube a", is made thicker, as at d, to afford a bearingsurface for the portion d of the projection or hook d, which, as shown, is enlarged at its junction with the shank of the draw-bar, to thus prevent the said draw-bar from turning and the hook from dropping down. The enlarged portion (1 of the hook or projection d is grooved or cut away in suitable manner at its upperside to receive a packing, (1, (see Fig.2 of leather or other suitable material, the said packing being preferably glued or cemented in the said groove.

The packing d" forms a perfect bearing for the draw-bar as the latter is drawn out along the shaft-iron B, the said packing preventing contact of the draw-bar and shaft-iron.

The packing (1, when worn, may be easily cut out and a new one substituted without removing the draw-bar from the tube a Vith shafts made as herein shown, and used in most cases with the lighter class of vehicles, the shaft-iron 13, near the rear end of the tube a has spliced to it, as at (P, apiece, d, of iron, which in practice will lit the sweep of the shaft in usual manner, the said iron piece cl having an eye, (1, by which the shaft is secured in usual manner to the axle of the vehicle.

The tube 0. at its rear end is provided with cured and the shaft-iron in one piece, the said tube projecting from that portion of the iron which is applied to the shaft rather than from the cross-bar thereof.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing the tube containing the draw-bar with packing, whereby the said tube is rendered water-tight.

Other features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a shaft provided with my improved shaft-iron and tug-hold er, the cross-bar being in section; Fig. 2, a view of Fig. 1 turned through an angle of ninety degrees, the tube being in section to more clearly show the interior construction of the same; Figs. 3 and 4, details to be referred to.

The shaft A and crossbar A,of any usual material,have secured to them, as shown,by bolts or rivets a, the shaft-iron B, of wrought or malleable iron, malleable iron being preferred on account of its cheapness. The shaft-iron B has cast integral with it a tube, a, open at its rear and closed at its front end, the latter end having a hole through which the shank of the draw-bar D is extended. The shank of the draw-bar D,when inserted within the tube a is extended through tubes 0. (4, having a tubular cap, e, having an extension, 0, fitted upon and so as to cover thesplice of the shaftiron B and the sweep-piece d, the said cap and extension being secured by a boltor rivet, a, the said extension serving to strengthen the said splice. Inside the cap 6 is a packing, f, of rubber or other suitable material,which acts as a stop for the draw-bar when the tension upon the spring b is relieved.

Thepackingf renders the cap 6 water-tight, and also prevents the clicking sound which would otherwise arise from suddenly releasing the tension upon the draw-bar.

When applied to shafts which are mortised or otherwise fixed solid to the front axle, the spliced piece d is dispensed with and the rear portion of the shaft-iron B made as long asthe front portion or longer, if desired.

Instead of making the shaft-iron of malleable iron, it may be of dropped iron forged.

In case the iron becomes broken at the boltholes in the sweep or worn at the eye (2, the said iron may be detached as far as the splice without disturbing the main part of the shaftiron.

By means of the packing described I obviate undue wear of the parts and prevent rattling, which would ordinarily occur after considerable use.

By means of the nut 12 the packing b at the frontportion of the tube a" is kept pressed water-tight, thereby preventing Water from .filling in as the draw-bar becomes worn. The water,,if admitted ,would freeze in cold weather and stop the free working of the spring.

It will be noticed that the tubes a at meet when sufficient tension is exerted upon the draw-bar, and thus act as a stop to prevent the spring from becoming set.

If it is desired to limit the travel of the drawbar, the tube a toward its rear end may be As a further means of preventing the spring from becoming set, a sleeve may be located upon the draw-bar at the front end of the tube, and, as shown in the drawings, the tube a may be this'sleeve. In this case the tube a at the rear end of the draw-bar may be omitted, if desired, and in case of severe tension upon the spring the nut b, or the washer b in front of 1. The combination, in a tug-holder, of a tube, a spring Within the said tube, a drawbar having its shank extended into the tube and encircled by the said spring, a nut upon the end of the said shank, and a stop, substantially as described, to limit the forward movement of the said spring to prevent it being set under excessive tension, substantially as de scribed. y

2. The combination, in a tug-holder, of a tube provided with a cap, a packing in said cap, a spring, b,located in said tube, the washers bv b at opposite ends of the said tube, the draw'bar D, having theextension d, and nut b, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a tug-holder, of a tube, provided with a cap, a packing in said cap, a spring, I), located in said tube, the draw bar D, having the extension (1, and nut 1), substantially. as described.

4. The shaft-iron B, the tube a, integral therewith, the spiral spring I), and the draw-bar D, combined with the sweep d spliced to the shaft-iron B, and with the cap e, provided with the extension 6, to cover the said spliced shaftiron and sweep -piece, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in atug-holder, of the tube of, the spiral spring b, the draw-bar D, having the extension d, provided with the packing (1*, the nut b, and packingf, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a tug-holder, of the tube a, the spiral spring I), the drawbar D, having the extension d, provided with the packing d, and having the thickened portion at, the nut b, and packing f, substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a tug-holder, of a tube, a spiral spring, I), located therein, the washers b b at opposite ends of the said tube. the drawbar D, having the extension d, and nut b, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a tug-holder, of the tube a the spiral spring I), the draw-bar D, having the extension 61, provided with the packing d, and the nut b, substantially as de-. scribed.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT B. WEBSTER.

Wi t n esses:

CHAS. H. BARTLETT, WILLIAMVCOREY. 

